The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-08
A ROMANCE
a hc1ugee from a Northern pr,.o.
wins Fame and Fortune III
the South,

INIAuhe In
the South.
A romance that has long been bida..
has just come to light, writes 4 nan.
sonville, Ind, correspondent Of Is. !,
Lo~iS Globe Democrat. Th,rtr-o;aa.
years ago Calvin Lyons was 4 voss.
mechanic of Posey county, Indiana d.
had but one fault, and that was ~,
Sive indulgence in intoxieauts. 81.
night he quarrelcd with q bosom friaod
with whom he was drinking il 1 :.
loon. and shot him through tbs heart
The young man was tr ed, conyietea =
manslaughter, and sent to the prson
south, at Jet%fersonville. for twentvsons
years. He served two years, and ooo
cold night in March, 1850, he resolved
to escape or die. He had secretly mass
tools, and had them hidden in his eel
When the great bell began telling ile
hour at 9 o'clock he commenced te
work of cutting a hole in the wall. h
worked industriously and soon had one
cut through, and was in the corridor
Here another wall three feet thick cor.
frOnted him. Nothing daunted. ID
went TO work, and in a couple Of hours
had cut Il hole big enough to crawl
through. He then made the STARTLING
discovery that the hole was at least
forty feet from the ground. While he
vas considering what had best be done
the guard came along and discovered
him. Before the later could make al
out cry, Lyons sprang upon him, and
being a powerful man, soon had the Of.
fetal insensIble upon the floor. 1t Re.
CURED but a few minutes to bind, gag,
and strip the man OF his clothes, which
Lyons hastily donned. Lyons then
tore his bed-clothes into strips, with
which lie made a rope and lowered him
self to the ground.
The steamer Sunfower was anchor.
ed at the falls, and, being short II
hands, when Lyons volunteered to %
to work they accepted the offer. The
boat left for southern waters. The
prison officials searched high and low
for him, but he could not be found.
In the meantime the steamer Sun-
flower changed hands, and in two years
Lyons had become her captain. He
saved money and ran in the Red river
trade. One time while on a visit to
some new friends at Deer Creek, Miss
he conceived the idea of building 4
mammoth cotton gin. Not having
enough money of his own, he interest
ed a wealthy planter in his scheme,
and the gin was built. Time brought
them prosperity, and Dame Fortune
smiled her sweetest upon them.
His partner had a daughter. and she
and Lyons fell deeply in love. The
latter did not wish to wed the young
lady without telling them OF his former
life, of which, prior to this time, he
had been myster iously reticent. Call
ing the young lady and her father mo
the Office one day, he made q clean
breast of the affair. At its conclusion
he told the father that he was in love
with his daughter, and asked i hes
would give her to an escaped convict
The old man considered the matter,
and finally rave his consent Ihey
were married and children grew up %
bless the household. His wife's father
died and made Owe his property to rs
son-in-law, who was then worth 10 tns
ne ghborhood of $4,000.
When the war broke out he Joinea
the confederate army to battle Tor tne
south. He made a gallant soldier ana
won distinction for himself on maui Z
CORY field. After peace again oyer
spread tho land he resumed business
and is now a wealthy and honored res;
ident OF Deer Creek. His hair Is silver.
ed and his face Is wrinkled, Dut w. :,
still hale and hearty, and he has heatis
reached three score OF years.
Some eight or nine years ago q gu
tleman passed through Deer Creek ahu
stopped over night with Mr.. Lyons
He mentioned that he wa from JeileI,
sonville, and the host proceeded 70 W
him his history.
"Are o not afraid to tell me TINS
Mi. Lyonspp said the gentleman.
mo" said the host. 1.-The peoPIo
here wouldn't see me arrested ana taA-
en- back to prison, and defy the olncoss
to try 1t.
The gentlemen has since correspond.
ed regularly with bis southern noss
and a few days ago, for the first time'
related the incident The ole LION
cut through the front Of the prison 7
still visible, although ii has been paIcn.
ed, and on the books is marked: "Ias
vim Lyons escaped March. 1850 w
probable no attempt will be made 81
him back and that the man W WI
spend the few remaining days OF ms w
in the southern town in which ms a.
won him a fortune.
A gardener who married an extremely nons